Father Knows Best
by dragonflybeach
Summary: Some people learn from their mistakes, so they don't make the same ones again. They make different ones instead.


A/N - when John refers to his parents, he's talking about his mother and stepfather.

* * *

When John arrived in Minnesota, he wondered how he had managed to stay on the road, and not end up in Iowa or something because he didn't remember most of the drive.

He had spent the entire trip arguing with himself over whether he should tell Kate and Adam everything. Whether they would be safer knowing what was out there, and how to defend themselves if it ever came for them, or whether he should leave them in blessed ignorance.

He found the pizza place Kate mentioned, and then drove around for an hour, re-aquainting himself with the town, planning things he could do with Adam if tonight went well.

He returned to the resturant twenty minutes early, and forced himself to wait five minutes in the car before going inside and seating himself in the back corner booth, back to the wall.

Watching out the window, he spotted Kate the moment she arrived. She looked very much the same from this distance, and still drove a Jeep Cherokee, just a newer model.

She was trailed by a blond boy, taller than John expected. He was almost the same height as his mother, who was fairly tall for a woman.

The two entered the pizza parlor, and John waved at them. Kate looked a little surprised, but quickly headed his way, glancing over her shoulder to make sure her son was still following.

John stood as they reached the table. Kate extended her hand to shake his, looking a bit confused.

"I didn't think you were here yet. I didn't see your car." She frowned. "But then again, I'm sure you have a newer one by now."

"No," John shook his head. "I still have the Impala. I just don't drive it much any more. I have a truck that's more practical for work."

She nodded, studying him, before turning to the boy by her side. "And this is Adam."

John smiled at the child, who regarded him with wide eyes and obvious nervousness. "I'm glad to meet you, Adam."

They took their seats, and John studied his newfound son.

There was more than a passing resemblence to Dean. They had the same mouth, the same deep set eyes although Adam's were the same blue as his mother's, the same build. Adam was even slightly bowlegged. John still didn't know where Dean got that from, but when spoke to Bobby again, he could safely say it did not come from Dean sitting in the floor with Sam corralled in the circle of his legs like Bobby always said. Adam had the same cheekbones as Sam, but that was about the only resemblence between his two younger sons.

It was odd how children changed as they got older. Dean had looked so much like Mary when he was little, while Aunt Lucille swore Sam was the image of John as a baby. As they had gotten older, it was now Dean who looked like John, while Sam looked more like the Campbells every year.

"I, um, haven't told Adam much, because I didn't really know that much to tell him." Kate apologized. "I told him about your car, and that you were a mechanic, from Kansas."

"I really wanted to see the car." Adam piped up, speaking for the first time.

John smiled. "I'll drive it sometime when I come to visit."

The silence stretched out just long enough to become awkward before the waitress appeared to take their order. John deferred to Kate and Adam, telling them he wasn't picky about his pizza. Adam asked for all the veggies and double pepperoni.

_Sam's favorite_, John thought to himself with a twinge.

The waitress walked away, leaving the three staring at one another again.

"John ... "

"Well ... "

The two adults spoke almost over one another, trying to ease the tension.

"Go ahead." Kate prompted, nodding at John.

He smiled at her and turned to their son, sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the booth. "Adam, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. Ask away. I won't bite."

Adam stared at his father nervously for a long moment before finally speaking. "What about your family? Do I have brothers and sisters?"

John clenched his jaw at the innocently hopeful look in his youngest son's eyes. The last time he had seen that innocence in Dean was before Mary died. He hadn't seen it in Sam since around Christmas of 2001, when Sam had discovered monsters were real.

_Yeah, you've got two brothers. One will probably never speak to me again, and the other will probably be dead by the time he's 30, because if the job doesn't get him, the drinking will._

He glanced over, realizing Kate was watching him intently.

She didn't know the answers to those questions, either. He realized that to Adam, John was a decent guy, just someone who passed through town nearly thirteen years ago, who had dropped everything to come meet a son he didn't know he had.

Neither Kate nor Adam knew that John made a living scamming credit card companies and hustling pool or poker in seedy bars, while killing monsters as a hobby.

They didn't know he had singlehandedly destroyed the lives of his two other sons in his quest for revenge.

Suddenly it seemed like the most important thing in the world to keep it that way.

And to keep the boy sitting across from him away from the supernatural world.

"I don't really have any family." John lied, taking a sip of his Coke. "My parents and my little sister were killed in a car accident when I was 20. I was on manuevers with the Marine Corps at the time."

"I'm sorry." Kate murmured.

"Why didn't you ever get married?" Adam frowned.

"I did, once." John answered softly, looking down at the table before looking back up at his son.

"What happened to her?" Kate asked knowingly.

"House fire," John took another sip of his drink before glancing up at her. "I had fallen asleep in the living room watching tv. The fire started in the bedroom where she was. I couldn't get to her in time. Electrical short, they said."

Kate smiled sadly at him and reached across the table to pat his hand.

"When was that?" Adam pressed.

"Adam!" his mother warned.

"No, it's fine." John shook his head at her, before turning back to his son. "November 2, 1983."

"And you never found anyone else to get married again?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

This kid asked way too many questions,_ just like Sam_.

"I guess I was afraid to let myself care about anyone after losing my parents and sister and then my wife." John replied honestly.

"Oh." Adam responded before suddenly falling silent.

"But that doesn't mean I wouldn't care about you." John continued. "You might just have to help me out some, because I really don't know what I'm doing with this whole family thing."

"Ok," Adam nodded, looking slightly relieved.

"So tell me about you." John gestured at his son.

Adam froze with his mouth slightly open.

"Adam is in seventh grade." Kate filled in for him. "He is on the honor roll and plays baseball."

"Honor roll, huh?" John grinned. "And baseball. What position do you play?"

"Shortstop or second base." Adam answered.

"Middle infield? You must be pretty good." John said.

"Yeah." Adam flushed slightly.

"He led the team in scoring and stolen bases this past season." Kate announced.

"Are the Twins playing in town this weekend?" John glanced over at Kate.

"Yeah, they are. Sunday is the last game of the season. Except they're probably going to the playoffs." Adam supplied.

"And Sunday is your birthday." John nodded at his son. "Maybe we could go to a game. If it's ok with your mom. And if she wants to come too, she can." John offered.

Adam's face lit up. "Could we?"

"I think that's a great idea." Kate smiled. "Adam, go wash your hands. The food should be here any minute."

The boy obediently slid out of the booth and headed to the restroom.

When she was confident he was out of earshot, Kate looked at John gratefully.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. "I'm really glad you're taking such an interest in Adam. A lot of men wouldn't have. It means a lot to me, and I know it means even more to him."

John smiled sadly and nodded. "It means a lot to me too. I'm glad you told me about him."

"Maybe I should have called sooner." Kate fretted. "But it was just a weekend fling, we both never expected anything beyond that ... "

"Don't worry about things like that." John reached over and took her hand. "If you had called me back then, I probably wouldn't have appreciated the opportunity to be in his life like I do now." He told her honestly.

He pulled his hand back and sat up straighter as he saw Adam returning to the table. The waitress came moments later with their food, and Kate put slices of pizza onto their plates.

John's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, checking the caller id.

Dean.

Probably calling to say he'd made it to Bobby safely.

John hit the button to turn off the ringer and returned the phone to his pocket.

"Do you need to get that?" Kate nodded toward his phone.

"Nah," John shook his head. "Adam's more important than the guy who was calling me."

Adam flashed John the same kind of smile Sam used to give Dean, and John knew he'd made the right decision.


End file.
